Explore Nursing Degree and Career Options

A large chunk of Oklahoma is rural: students living remotely face educational challenges when it comes to college, healthcare faces challenges in providing adequate healthcare and nursing resources to remote communities. Unique to the State of Oklahoma is an aggressive system of technical career education. Check out the list below and you’ll notice the few dozen technology centers that comprise well over half the list. These nursing schools specialize in delivering the Practical Nursing programs. Candidates are trained and prepared for their LPN license which allows them to work in some areas in hospitals, but primarily in smaller community hospitals, nursing homes and doctor’s offices—not ironically areas of high nursing need.

However, there remains a larger shortage of nurses in the state, especially in the hospitals. RNs are preferred for their more expansive scope of practice, with supplemental LPNs mixed into various patient care settings. To offset some of the shortage LPN-to-RN educational programs have increased as a means to tap the current LPNs.

Advanced Practice Nurses—Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Certified Registered Nurses of Anesthesia—are also in high demand in various types of clinics and medical centers. Because most are able to work independently of a physician, they are more affordable and some cases, more effective at building long-standing patient-caregiver relationships. Tip: Many recruiters offer loan repayment incentives for APRNs.

Financial Incentives for Oklahoma Nurses

Hospitals attract and retain nurses with a complement of incentives, not the least of which are lucrative signing bonuses and referral bonuses.

The state may—depending upon current funding-- use a variety of loan repayment programs as leverage to attract and retain nurses, as well. Always check on the latest programs available and requirements.

The Nursing Student Assistance Program is available for OK nursing students at all degree levels, including Practical Nurse. Eligible candidates must be committed and motivated to practice in rural community health clinics.